diff --git a/src/harness/unittests/session.ts b/src/harness/unittests/session.ts
index 9912294d1d2..75660f75f32 100644
--- a/src/harness/unittests/session.ts
+++ b/src/harness/unittests/session.ts
@@ -169,6 +169,19 @@ namespace ts.server {
                         allowNonTsExtensions: true // injected by tsserver
                     });
             });
+
+            it("Status request gives ts.version", () => {
+                const req: protocol.StatusRequest = {
+                    command: CommandNames.Status,
+                    seq: 0,
+                    type: "request"
+                };
+
+                const expected: protocol.StatusResponseBody = {
+                     version: ts.version
+                };
+                assert.deepEqual(session.executeCommand(req).response, expected);
+            });
         });
 
         describe("onMessage", () => {
@@ -220,6 +233,7 @@ namespace ts.server {
                 CommandNames.Saveto,
                 CommandNames.SignatureHelp,
                 CommandNames.SignatureHelpFull,
+                CommandNames.Status,
                 CommandNames.TypeDefinition,
                 CommandNames.ProjectInfo,
                 CommandNames.ReloadProjects,
diff --git a/src/server/protocol.ts b/src/server/protocol.ts
index 6ba968dd114..2ade527e7c3 100644
--- a/src/server/protocol.ts
+++ b/src/server/protocol.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ namespace ts.server.protocol {
         SignatureHelp = "signatureHelp",
         /* @internal */
         SignatureHelpFull = "signatureHelp-full",
+        Status = "status",
         TypeDefinition = "typeDefinition",
         ProjectInfo = "projectInfo",
         ReloadProjects = "reloadProjects",
@@ -216,6 +217,24 @@ namespace ts.server.protocol {
         projectFileName?: string;
     }
 
+    export interface StatusRequest extends Request {
+        command: CommandTypes.Status;
+    }
+
+    export interface StatusResponseBody {
+        /**
+         * The TypeScript version (`ts.version`).
+         */
+        version: string;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Response to StatusRequest
+     */
+    export interface StatusResponse extends Response {
+        body: StatusResponseBody;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Requests a JS Doc comment template for a given position
      */
diff --git a/src/server/session.ts b/src/server/session.ts
index 0eab6c9732a..744563cf321 100644
--- a/src/server/session.ts
+++ b/src/server/session.ts
@@ -1703,6 +1703,10 @@ namespace ts.server {
         }
 
         private handlers = createMapFromTemplate<(request: protocol.Request) => HandlerResponse>({
+            [CommandNames.Status]: () => {
+                const response: protocol.StatusResponseBody = { version };
+                return this.requiredResponse(response);
+            },
             [CommandNames.OpenExternalProject]: (request: protocol.OpenExternalProjectRequest) => {
                 this.projectService.openExternalProject(request.arguments, /*suppressRefreshOfInferredProjects*/ false);
                 // TODO: GH#20447 report errors
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
index 2a4e97799a4..1f6dadb8b2a 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
@@ -4905,6 +4905,7 @@ declare namespace ts.server.protocol {
         Rename = "rename",
         Saveto = "saveto",
         SignatureHelp = "signatureHelp",
+        Status = "status",
         TypeDefinition = "typeDefinition",
         ProjectInfo = "projectInfo",
         ReloadProjects = "reloadProjects",
@@ -5006,6 +5007,21 @@ declare namespace ts.server.protocol {
         file: string;
         projectFileName?: string;
     }
+    interface StatusRequest extends Request {
+        command: CommandTypes.Status;
+    }
+    interface StatusResponseBody {
+        /**
+         * The TypeScript version (`ts.version`).
+         */
+        version: string;
+    }
+    /**
+     * Response to StatusRequest
+     */
+    interface StatusResponse extends Response {
+        body: StatusResponseBody;
+    }
     /**
      * Requests a JS Doc comment template for a given position
      */